First Do No Harm
by Mooose
Summary: The team investigates the death of a young medical student. Finished!
1. Chapter 1

First Do No Harm  
  
The break room was silent. No one dared to speak, not when Grissom had that expression on his face. Normally impassive, Grissom's face hinted what the man felt: an unpleasant mixture anxiety and annoyance. Their shift had started almost an hour ago, and they had been in the break room since then. They had been waiting for the team to be completed.  
  
Catherine still hasn't arrived.  
  
At first, the younger three had been kidding around, all wanting to start the shift pleasantly. Nick and Sara had been bugging Warrick about his date the day before. Warrick had been dodging their inquiries and had started a lively good-natured verbal exchange with them. They were all enjoying this until Grissom, who had been sitting in silence at the end of the table, snapped and ordered them to stop. That was about fifteen minutes ago.  
  
Grissom sighed. He looked at his now quiet team. "I'm sorry," he finally spoke up. "I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just.Catherine should have been here ages ago."  
  
"Maybe the sitter didn't come," Nick offered, not really surprised that Grissom is so concerned about the other female member of their team. He and Warrick exchanged knowing looks.  
  
"She would've called if that was the case," Grissom pointed out, not at all noticing the exchange between Nick and Warrick. Now his face showed only one emotion: worry. "This is so unlike Catherine."  
  
"What is so unlike me?"  
  
All four heads turned to the door, where a flustered Catherine stood. "Coming late and not informing any of us about it," Grissom said, his tone a little too harder than he intended. Now that he knew she was safe, he had to go back to his usual self.  
  
"You don't bite Nick's head off when he does that," Catherine snapped. Nick was the perennial latecomer in the group.  
  
"We have business to take care of," Grissom replied coolly. "We'd better get started."  
  
Nick, Warrick and Sara exchanged knowing looks. Grissom was doing it again, hiding his feelings behind his work. An obviously irked Catherine took the seat next to Warrick, the one farthest from Grissom. Warrick gave her a sympathetic smile.  
  
Just then, Grissom's pager went off. "It's Brass," Grissom reported. He stood up and nodded to Sara and Warrick. "You two go with me. Nick and Catherine, you stay here and do the paperwork for the last case we finished."  
  
Sara and Warrick stood up. As she passed Catherine, Sara squeezed her shoulder reassuringly, a gesture to which Catherine replied with a grateful smile. Sara smiled back and followed Warrick and Grissom wordlessly out of the room. Grissom is such a pain sometimes, she thought. 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership over any character from the show CSI. No profit is being made from this story.  
  
First Do No Harm Chapter 2  
  
The crime scene was not far from the crime lab. The drive there was quick, with Grissom speaking to Brass on his phone. They were at the scene almost as soon as Grissom and Brass finished their conversation.  
  
"Victim is Jodie Fleming, she was found dead in her room at her parents' house," Grissom began as they walked towards the house. "No wounds, no trauma."  
  
"How did she die?" Sara asked.  
  
"Chronic poisoning," Grissom said. They were now inside the house. Brass and his men were still bustling around.  
  
"Gil," Brass acknowledged as they entered the living room.  
  
"Have you found anything?"  
  
"None so far," Brass said. "I just learned from her parents that Jodie hardly ever stays here. She's a second year medical student and she lives in an apartment with three other classmates."  
  
"Do they know?" Gil asked, pausing just before the stairs.  
  
Brass shrugged. "Probably not. But I'm about to head there now. Think you could spare one or two people from your team? I'd like to search their place now."  
  
Grissom nodded. "I'll call Catherine. She and Nick could head out there with you. What's the address?"  
  
"You'd better ask them to come here instead. I want to talk to give them information regarding the case before we get there," Brass said.  
  
"Very well," Grissom agreed, getting his cell phone and paging his two colleagues. "Can we start working now?"  
  
Brass nodded. "I'll be in the kitchen. The parents are there. By the way, her room's the first door to your right."  
  
"Let's start there," Grissom ordered his team. They climbed the stairs and found the second floor eerily silent.  
  
"This must be it," Warrick remarked, stopping before a closed door. He reached for the doorknob, but before he could open the room, Grissom's phone began to ring.  
  
"It's Nick," Grissom said, checking the phone's caller ID. "You two go ahead, I'll follow."  
  
Warrick opened the door and found that the light had not been switched off. He stepped into the room, Sara following closely behind. There seemed to be nothing amiss in the room, no signs of violence having occurred there in the recent past. The bed was unmade, which was expected because that was where the body was found. Warrick looked at Sara, who was getting her camera out of her field kit. He followed her suit and soon both of them were methodically documenting the room as they had found it.  
  
"Think you two can handle this scene without me?" Grissom asked from the door. Sara and Warrick stopped taking pictures and faced their boss. Sara smiled confidently. "Sure."  
  
"What's up?" Warrick asked.  
  
"Nick told me Lindsey's baby-sitter called just a few minutes ago. Lindsey's fever had gone worse, and Catherine had to go home," Grissom explained. "I want to go with Nick and Brass to the apartment."  
  
"Okay, boss," Warrick replied with a reassuring smile. "We can handle this one."  
  
Grissom nodded. "Just call me in case something turns up," he said as he turned to leave. "I'll see you both at the lab later."  
  
------------------------ Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! Keep them coming! 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership over any character from the show CSI. No profit is being made from this story.  
  
First Do No Harm By Moose  
  
Chapter 3  
  
They did not find much in the girl's room. She obviously hardly stayed there, and all they had at the end of their search was a couple of unwashed clothes from the laundry. Warrick was able to dust a couple of prints, but he was pretty sure they belonged to the victim or to her parents. From the refrigerator, they got a half-filled bottle of the energy drink that Jodie Fleming apparently was on a habit of taking.  
  
"Are you done there?" Warrick asked Sara, who was searching the kitchen. "I need to take this to the lab."  
  
Sara looked up and saw Warrick holding up the bottle. "You go ahead, it'll probably take me a couple of more minutes to get this done. I'll ask one of Brass's guys to drop me off the lab."  
  
"Okay, see you later then," Warrick said, although he doubt Sara heard him. She had already returned to searching the kitchen. He hoped that Nick and Grissom had better luck at the girl's apartment.  
  
As if on cue, Nick was just entering the house when Warrick exited the kitchen. "Found anything?" he asked.  
  
Warrick held up the evidences they gathered. "Gut feel tells me these are nothing, but there's no harm having the lab check them out. What about you?"  
  
"We were able to talk to two roommates, but that's pretty much it," Nick replied. "The third roommate's on duty until tomorrow night."  
  
"I see," Warrick said. "Gotta go, man. I need Greg to check this energy drink. Sara's in the kitchen."  
  
Nick nodded and headed to the kitchen. He found Sara going through the garbage. "So this is why you always smell great."  
  
Sara looked up and grinned when she saw Nick. "You're just in time, Nick. I need you to help me with this. Get me a bag and hold it while I dump these things there."  
  
Groaning, Nick got an evidence bag from the kitchen counter and knelt beside Sara. Instantly, his nostrils were flooded with the scent of garbage. "Geez, Sidle, you really know how to attract men," he said, holding out the bag to her. Sara dumped a couple of things in the bag.  
  
"Well, I had you kneeling before me, hadn't I?" Sara retorted, not letting Nick know that his comment had somehow bothered her. She got up, took off her gloves and washed her hands at the kitchen sink. Turning around, she saw Nick sealing the evidence bag. "I'm done here."  
  
"Good, then we can head back to the lab," Nick said, gathering the evidences and walking with Sara out of the house.  
  
"Where's Grissom by the way?" Sara asked as they headed towards the SUV.  
  
"At the ER," Nick said, unlocking the door at the passenger's side and opening it for Sara. Sara turned to Nick and asked, "What happened?"  
  
Nick didn't answer her; instead, he walked around the car and got in the driver's side. "Catherine took Lindsey to the hospital," he explained. "I dropped Grissom at the hospital on my way here."  
  
"That's weird," Sara commented. "Grissom usually never abandons his work."  
  
Nick glanced at Sara and gave her a knowing look. "Sara, this is Catherine we're talking about here."  
  
"Oh, right," Sara nodded, getting Nick's point. "I wonder when those two would finally go out."  
  
"I hope soon," Nick said, starting the car. "All those pent-up sexual tension between them is won't help their professional relationship."  
  
"Yeah, it would be nice to have someone look after Grissom," Sara agreed. "Sometimes I wonder how he made it this far with the way he takes care of himself."  
  
"And it's amazing that he hasn't turned into a Scrooge," Nick said. "Besides, Lindsey also needs a father figure."  
  
"Grissom would be better than Eddie," Sara said, referring to Catherine's ex-husband.  
  
"A lot better," Nick agreed. 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership over any character from the show CSI. No profit is being made from this story.  
  
Moose says: Thanks for the reviews! This chapter is for Catherine-Grissom shippers. Hope you tell me what you think of this. Nick-Sara chapters are in progress.  
  
First Do No Harm By Moose  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Grissom found Catherine beside Lindsey's bed at the ER. Lindsey was flushed and restless, and Catherine was holding her hand and brushing her hair away from her face.  
  
"Uncle Gil!"  
  
Catherine looked up and saw Grissom at the foot of the bed. "Grissom, what are you doing here?"  
  
"Nick told me about Lindsey," Grissom explained. "I had him drive me here."  
  
"What for?" Catherine asked, hoping he'd say the right things.  
  
"I just want to be here for you and Lindsey," Grissom said softly. "How are you doing Lindsey?"  
  
"My tummy hurts," Lindsey replied, pain obvious in her voice. "Will you stay with us Uncle Gil?"  
  
Grissom smiled and nodded. "If it's okay with your mommy."  
  
"Sure, Gil," Catherine smiled back, the incident at the break room now forgotten. "Thanks."  
  
"No problem," Grissom said, getting a chair and sitting beside Catherine.  
  
"What about work?"  
  
"Oh, Nick, Warrick and Sara can handle one night on their own," Gil said. "I have a feeling it's a slow night, anyway."  
  
"Who did you left in charge?"  
  
"Nick."  
  
Just then, the resident doctor approached the bed. "Mrs. Willows?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I'm afraid Lindsey's got appendicitis," the young doctor said. "We need to take it out as soon as possible."  
  
"I see," Catherine nodded, relieved that it's just appendicitis, but at the same time anxious because Lindsey would have undergo an operation.  
  
"I'll call you again as soon as there's an operating room available," the doctor said. "I have already called Dr. Bachall, the pediatric surgeon. She's on her way down now."  
  
"Thank you, doctor," Catherine replied. The doctor smiled and excused himself.  
  
Grissom met Catherine's eyes and took her hand. Catherine smiled back gratefully. 


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership over any character from the show CSI. No profit is being made from this story.  
  
First Do No Harm By Moose  
  
Chapter 5  
  
It was a slow night. At the crime lab, Nick went back to doing the paperwork that Grissom had assigned to him and Catherine earlier that night. Warrick was with Greg, and Sara was processing the evidence she gathered. Nick had always disliked paperwork, and this made him work fast. The sooner it's done, the better.  
  
When he was finally finished, Nick stretched and decided that he's been confined to the desk too long. He got up and went to the break room for some coffee. The room was empty, but there was coffee at the coffee pot. He himself a cup and went off to look for his colleagues.  
  
"Hey, how are you two doing?" Nick said as he entered Greg's domain.  
  
"Whoa, Nick!" Greg put his hands up when he saw Nick's cup. "No food and drinks in this area."  
  
"Oops, sorry, Greggo," Nick said, backing out. "Guess I'll go hound Sara instead."  
  
"Oh no, you won't," came Sara's voice from the doorway. "I'm done." She caught a whiff of Nick's coffee. "Mmm, that smells good."  
  
"Come on, there's more at the break room," Nick said. "Greggo here won't let me enter his lab with this stuff."  
  
"It's bad for the equipment, Nick," Greg reasoned. "Hi Sara."  
  
Sara smiled at Greg and followed Nick out. "Any word from Grissom?"  
  
"Lindsey's got appendicitis," Nick said. "Grissom paged me and told me that he'll be out for the rest of the shift."  
  
"Oh, poor Lindsey," Sara remarked. "I had appendicitis when I was in high school and it was hell."  
  
"I can just imagine," Nick nodded. "Want to go visit her after the shift?"  
  
"Sure," Sara replied. "Hey, this is a new side of you," she teased as they entered the break room. She got a cup and let Nick pour some coffee in it.  
  
"What does that supposed to mean?" Nick asked.  
  
"You just don't seem to be, well, the type who hangs around with kids," Sara explained, sitting opposite Nick.  
  
"Hey, I bet I know more about kids than you do," Nick countered. "I happen to be my neices' and nephews' favorite babysitter."  
  
Sara scoffed. "I have to see that first," she said. "I -" she started to say but was interrupted by Brass' entry into the break room. "Hey Brass."  
  
Brass nodded, and asked, "Where's Gil?"  
  
"He's spending the night at the hospital," Nick said. "Lindsey's got appendicitis and he's keeping Catherine company."  
  
"So who's in charge here?"  
  
"I am."  
  
Both Brass and Sara looked at Nick in surprise. "I swear, Grissom told me," Nick said defensively.  
  
"Well, then, you have another case," Brass said. "Body found on the sidewalk beside the Arabica coffee shop. The place closed at midnight, and the manager was leaving when he noticed that there was a man lying on the sidewalk. Thought he was a homeless man spending the night there. He was going to leave the man there, but then he noticed a pool of blood surrounding the head. That's when he called 911."  
  
"Okay, I'm going there," Nick said. "I'll go get Warrick."  
  
"Hey, wait a second, Nick," Sara interjected. "I'm not doing anything, why don't I go with you instead?"  
  
"You're not tired?" Nick asked doubtfully, although he already knew what Sara would reply.  
  
"I am, but you've seen me work in worse states before," Sara said. "Besides, Warrick isn't done yet."  
  
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Nick agreed. "Fine, let's go."  
  
Sara beamed at him. "Thanks, Nick."  
  
Brass looked at them and shook his head. He just don't get why Sara would thank Nick for giving her another job for that shift when she's obviously tired. And from the look on Nick's face, Brass was willing to bet that the younger man felt quite the same way. 


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership over any character from the show CSI. No profit is being made from this story.  
  
Author's Note: Sorry this took a little longer.vacation's almost over for me, and there were some things I had to do.anyway, I still have the rest of the week free, I'll try to finish this before I go back to the rat race. (  
  
First Do No Harm By Moose  
  
Chapter 6  
  
By the time Nick and Sara finished processing the crime scene, only several minutes were remaining on their shift. Taking one last look at the scene, Sara closed her field kit and headed over to where Nick and Brass were standing. "All done, boss," she said with a smile.  
  
"Good," Nick replied. "It's breakfast time."  
  
"Guess this ends your shift," Brass said. "I'll see you both tonight."  
  
"Yeah, see you later, Brass," Sara remarked. She and Nick began walking towards their SUV.  
  
"Still up to visiting Lindsey?" Nick asked as they drove back to the crime lab.  
  
"You bet," Sara replied. "But I'll need to shower and change clothes first."  
  
"Me, too," Nick said. "I'll wait for you at the break room, okay?"  
  
"Okay," Sara agreed, leaning back and closing her eyes. "I sure hope these cases are not dead-ended ones."  
  
Nick glanced at her. Suddenly, he wanted more than anything to reassure her that everything will work out, but he knew that he can't make that guarantee. He just grunted some affirmative response and continued driving. Soon, they were back at the crime lab. Nick turned off the engine and sat silently for a while, just looking at his slumbering friend. Here was the reason why he hadn't had a serious relationship since she began working in Vegas. Most of the time, he feels that she just thinks of him as the brother she never had, which is why he treats her like a kid sister. Still, in moments like this, Nick just feels that Sara would never be just a sisterly friend to him.  
  
Finally, Nick decided to wake her up. Reaching out and gently shaking her shoulder, he said softly, "Hey Sara, we're here."  
  
Sara groggily opened her eyes and focused on Nick. She could still feel his hand on her shoulder. "Sorry Nick," she mumbled, trying to regain her bearings. "Didn't mean to sleep on you."  
  
Nick grinned. "Wow, that's the first time a girl's ever said that to me."  
  
Sara thought about what she just said and laughed. "Well, I'm not like your other girls, Nick Stokes."  
  
"No, you certainly are not," Nick replied softly, before he could stop himself.  
  
Sara turned sharply towards Nick and Nick wanted to smack his head on the steering wheel right then. To his relief, Sara just smiled and said, "Come on, Lindsey's waiting."  
  
As she unbuckled her seat belt, Nick reluctantly withdrew his hand and did likewise. Getting out of the car, he followed Sara back into the building, amazed that she didn't bite his head off with his comment.  
  
"I'll see you at the break room in a few minutes, Nick," Sara said, as they headed towards their separate locker rooms.  
  
"Yeah, see ya," Nick replied, watching her head to the women's locker room. She's certainly not like any other girl he's gone out with. 


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership over any character from the show CSI. No profit is being made from this story.  
  
First Do No Harm Chapter 7  
  
Catherine was watching her sleeping daughter when Warrick, Nick and Sara arrived. Grissom was asleep on the one armchair.  
  
Nick rapped softly at the open door. Catherine smiled when she saw them.  
  
"Hey, nice of you to drop by," she said softly as they entered the room.  
  
"How is Lindsey?" Warrick asked.  
  
Catherine looked at her daughter, then back to her friends. "She was in a lot of pain last night, but the operation was uncomplicated. She seems okay now."  
  
"That's good," Sara said. "Oh, by the way, we brought you some breakfast."  
  
"Thanks," Catherine replied, taking the paper bags from Nick. Just then, Grissom opened his eyes. "Hey, Gil, look who dropped by to visit Lindsey."  
  
"Hi guys," Grissom greeted. "So how was the shift?"  
  
"Well, aside from the case that we were working on when you left, we only had one more call. Sara and I took care of it," Nick reported. He was about to fill in Grissom about the last case when a small voice from the bed interrupted him.  
  
"Mommy?"  
  
"Lindsey, sweetie, how are you feeling?" Catherine asked as she rushed to her daughter's side.  
  
"I'm still sleepy, mommy," Lindsey said, clutching Catherine's hand and closing her eyes. "Please don't leave me mommy."  
  
"I'm right here, sweetie," Catherine assured her daughter. She looked at her colleagues, who all nodded understandingly. Nick nodded towards the door and Catherine nodded back and mouthed, "Thank you." Sara and Warrick followed Nick, with Sara giving Catherine a small wave.  
  
"Catherine, I'll just tell Nick a couple of things," Grissom whispered.  
  
"Gil, I've kept you here the whole night," Catherine replied softly. "I understand if you want to go home now."  
  
"I don't want to leave you alone here," Gil said.  
  
"We'll be okay," Catherine assured him. "Thanks so much, Gil. It really meant a lot to me, you staying with Lindsey and me last night."  
  
Gil gave her a small smile. "No problem. Are you sure - "  
  
Catherine smiled sincerely. "Go home Gil. The team survived without you for one night, but they may not for two nights in a row. You go rest now, they need you at work tonight."  
  
Gil just looked at her silently for a while. "Okay. Just call me if you need me, hear that? You don't have to go through this alone."  
  
Catherine was astonished with Gil's words. Is this the Gil Grissom who made his work his life? The Gil Grissom who never had any personal relationships more intimate than a boss-employee relationship? With her free hand, Catherine reached out and squeezed Gil's hand. "Thanks Gil."  
  
Gil just smiled and held her hand for a little while longer. Then, he let go and headed towards the door. But before he went out, he looked back and smiled at her again. Catherine just smiled back. 


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership over any character from the show CSI. No profit is being made from this story.  
  
First Do No Harm  
  
By Moose  
  
Chapter 8  
  
The next night, Grissom's team was assembled at the break room again, and just like the previous night, Catherine was not there. But instead of a worried-sick Grissom at the head of the table, a cheerful Grissom was listening to his team's update.  
  
"As much as it pains me to say this," Grissom began after they had finished reporting, "but you guys did well without me. Now for tonight, let's all focus on the Fleming case, unless something else comes up. The other case was turned over to the day shift, and I had been informed just before our shift that they had solved it."  
  
"Mugging?" Sara asked.  
  
Grissom nodded. "Your usual mugging set-up. Victim was attacked from behind, hit in the head and knocked unconscious. Mugger got all his valuables and left him. The victim bled to death on the sidewalk, from his head wound."  
  
"No wonder the day shift shut the case," Nick said wryly. Sara and Warrick grinned, and even Grissom had to smile. The competition between the night and the day shifts was no secret.  
  
"Anyway, I think Nick and I have an appointment with Jodie Fleming's third roommate," Grissom remarked, going back to business. "Sara, you go with Nick instead, and I want the two of you to look for clues at their apartment. Here's the warrant," Grissom handed Sara a piece of paper. "Doc Robbins paged me a while ago, said he found something. Warrick, I'd like you to get a copy of Jodie Fleming's school records. It's still pretty early, so I think the school office is not yet closed," Grissom stood up and suggestively headed to the door. He paused just long enough to look back and say, "All right, let's all get to work."  
  
***  
  
"God, I didn't even know she was dead," Meredith Jones wept. Beside her, Lisa Monroe comfortingly handed her a box of tissue.  
  
Nick shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He had never actually gotten used to breaking the bad - no, the worst - news to people, no matter how many times he had done it. Glancing at Sara, who was looking through Jodie Fleming's things, he could see that she wasn't feeling good about this also.  
  
"I'm really sorry, Meredith," Sara found herself saying with sincere sympathy.  
  
"Why are you investigating her death?" Meredith asked after a while. She seemed calmer now, but still obviously distraught. "Was foul play involved?"  
  
"She died of poisoning," Nick replied. "We're hoping you could help us figure out how that happened."  
  
"I don't know," Meredith shook her head sadly. "She wasn't on any medications, and she practically subsisted on fast food. I don't think she had any enemies. Jodie was a really sweet girl."  
  
"What about boyfriends, rejected suitors?" Nick inquired.  
  
Again Meredith shook her head. "Jodie was really dedicated to her studies, she doesn't have a boyfriend. As far as I know, all the guys she turned down took the rejection pretty well."  
  
Sara picked up an unmarked bottle from Jodie's desk. "What's this?"  
  
"Just some supplements," Meredith said. "Some herbal medicine in capsule form. They're supposed to enhance your memory and Jodie occasionally takes them. She usually just does so when she's studying for an exam."  
  
"We'll take this to the lab," Sara said, bagging the bottle and continuing her search.  
  
"Can you think of any reason why Jodie was poisoned? Anybody who'd do that?" Nick prodded. "Could she have done this to herself?"  
  
"I'm sorry, I really can't," Meredith replied after thinking for a while. "And I don't think she poisoned herself. Academically, I know she's doing fine and if she had any personal problems, well, she hid them well. She actually seemed happy to me."  
  
"Well, thanks for talking to us," Nick concluded his interview. He glanced at Sara and she nodded, indicating that she had finished her search. "We'll be in touch. If you remember anything that you think could help us, you can reach us at this number." He handed her a piece of paper with their office phone number.  
  
Meredith nodded. "I hope you figure out what happen really soon."  
  
"We'll do our best," Sara promised, following Nick to the door. Meredith and Lisa followed them, and closed the door behind the two CSIs.  
  
"I hope Greg's not swamped tonight," Sara said as she and Nick waited for the elevator. "We're running out of leads."  
  
"Yeah," Nick agreed. He smiled wistfully. "You know, this place reminds me of college. I stayed in a dorm pretty much like this one. Man, those were some wild times."  
  
"I bet," Sara commented, returning his smile. "You probably partied all night and dated all the girls on campus."  
  
"Partied all night - yes, dated all the girls - no," Nick said. The elevator opened and they stepped inside. "There might be a couple of girls that I didn't get to date," Nick jokingly continued. "You know, girls like you who stayed in all night with their books."  
  
"Yeah, I did spend more time with books than boys," Sara admitted, her heart dropping all the way down. Nick could very well have told her that she just wasn't his type. Sara was astonished to find herself very dismayed with this.  
  
They rode down in silence. Nick realized what he had just said, and for the second time in two days, he just wanted to bonk his head. "Hey, Sara, I didn't mean it to sound that way," he feebly apologized. "What I was trying to say was that, well, I was intimidated by girls like you."  
  
Sara didn't reply. When the elevator doors opened, she walked out wordlessly. Nick sighed and followed her out. When they reached the parking lot, Sara turned to Nick and said with a small smile, "Well, if you only knew the truth, I don't think you'd be intimidated at all."  
  
"The truth?"  
  
"Some other time, Nicky," Sara smiled, heading towards the passenger's side of their vehicle. "Don't worry, I won't hold this against you."  
  
Nick reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Sara, I'm really sorry," he apologized again, more sincerely this time. "I didn't mean to make it sound like you're unattractive or uninteresting, because you are actually more attractive and really a lot more interesting than any of the girls I ask out."  
  
"Then why have you never asked me out?" Sara asked softly, looking away.  
  
Nick couldn't believe his ears. Is she implying that she had been waiting for me to ask her out? Nick decided to come clean just then and there. "I want to, Sara, you have no idea how much I want to."  
  
Sara looked back at Nick. "So why haven't you?"  
  
"I've always thought that you see me as a brother," Nick answered softly.  
  
"I do," Sara nodded. "Because I thought that's all you want to be to me."  
  
Nick removed his hand from her shoulder and caressed her cheek. Stepping closer, he leaned down and tenderly kissed her, his lips moving gently as he savored the wonderful feeling of her lips responding to his. They reluctantly pulled apart a while later.  
  
"So are we moving on from this brother-sister thing?" Sara asked softly.  
  
"That move's long overdue," Nick replied, kissing her again.  
  
"Long overdue," Sara murmured in agreement. 


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership over any character from the show CSI. No profit is being made from this story.  
  
A.N.: I regret to say that I have to go back to med school tomorrow, and I might not post for awhile. The completion of this story would depend on my shifts.in the meantime, here's the ninth segment.enjoy! Thanks for the reviews! You guys keep me going. By the way, thanks to Cranberry Ramen for correcting me on that locker thingy.  
  
First Do No Harm  
  
By Moose  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Grissom rapped at Doc Robbins' door sharply.  
  
"Come in," Doc Robbins called from inside.  
  
Grissom opened the door and found the coroner behind his desk, drinking coffee. "You found something?"  
  
"Gil," Robbins acknowledged. "Yes, I did, something quite strange. Come, I'll show you."  
  
Grissom followed Robbins to the morgue. The body of Jodie Fleming was on an examining table, her face and feet exposed. Robbins handed him a pair of latex gloves.  
  
"See here," Robbins began, putting on his gloves and uncovering the body. "I found some bead-like foreign matter embedded on the stomach wall." He reached in and showed Grissom the dissected organ. Grissom studied it, seeing what Robbins meant. Embedded in the mucosa were black beads, about the shape and size of mung beans. They were numerous, distributed quite evenly throughout the inferior fourth of the stomach. Grissom reached in and tried to remove one, but he found it tightly attached between the folds of the gastric mucosa.  
  
"I've never seen anything like it before," Robbins was saying. "Have you?"  
  
Grissom shook his head. "They seemed to have resistance against the gastric acid," he said. "Let's have Greg analyze some of these."  
  
Robbins nodded. With his scalpel, he deftly removed several beads and placed them in a vial. He handed the vial to Grissom, who looked at it closely. "Interesting," Grissom murmured. "This might just be the break we were waiting for."  
  
"Furnish me a copy of the results," Robbins called as Grissom headed for the door.  
  
Grissom nodded and walked out of the morgue. He proceeded to Greg's lab and on the hallway just outside the lab, he ran into an unusually bubbly Sara.  
  
"Hey Griss," Sara greeted him.  
  
"Hi Sara," Grissom replied, glancing at his watch. "You're back early."  
  
"Well, the third roommate didn't have much to tell, and I almost found nothing at the place," Sara reported.  
  
"Almost?"  
  
"There was this bottle of supplements that Jodie Fleming took whenever she has exams," Sara explained. "I just brought it to Greg. It's some herbal stuff that the roommates did not know. Greg said he'll page me when he finds out what they are."  
  
"Where's Nick?"  
  
"Right here."  
  
Grissom turned around and saw Nick behind him. "Good," Grissom said. He held up the vial. "I want the two of you to look at this. Do you know what it is?"  
  
They studied it for a moment, then Nick shook his head. "Where'd you find it?"  
  
"In Jodie Fleming's stomach walls," Grissom said. "They were embedded there."  
  
"What is it?" Sara inquired, looking at Grissom.  
  
"That's what I'd like to know, too," Grissom said, walking towards the door to Greg's lab.  
  
"Um, Griss?"  
  
"Yeah Nick?"  
  
"Do you have anything else for us to do?"  
  
Grissom thought for a while, then shook his head no. "None for now. Warrick hasn't returned yet, and so far, Brass hasn't called. I'll just page you when something turns up."  
  
"Okay," Nick said, "I think I'll go out for some fresh air." He looked suggestively at Sara. "Wanna come, Sara?"  
  
"Sure," Sara replied, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. She glanced fleetingly at Grissom, who apparently has dismissed them. She fell in step beside Nick, and hand in hand, they walked out of the building.  
  
Grissom looked back, just in time to see Sara slip her hand in Nick's. He smiled. 


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership over any character from the show CSI. No profit is being made from this story.  
  
A.N.: I'm back! Sorry for the delay. Without much ado, here is the tenth installment. I see the end coming in one or two chapters. Enjoy, and please do tell me what you think, good and bad. Thanks so much for all your support.  
  
First Do No Harm  
  
By Moose  
  
Chapter 10  
  
"Things are awfully slow tonight," Sara commented, leaning back beside Nick on the hood of the SUV.  
  
"You're complaining?" Nick asked incredulously, but his twinkling eyes told Sara he was teasing her.  
  
"Well, yeah," Sara said, deciding to go along with him. "I happen to like my work, Nicky."  
  
"Love is more like it," Nick corrected her. He stepped in front of her and put his hands on the hood, on either side of Sara.  
  
"Yeah, I love it," Sara agreed, feeling light-headed. Nick was so close she could smell his aftershave. "Don't you?"  
  
"I love this," Nick said softly, his lips finding hers. All he could think of was how he just can't seem to get enough of Sara. He felt Sara sigh happily, her arms snaking around his neck. They were so captivated with each other that they didn't notice the presence of a third person.  
  
When they finally came up for air, Sara closed her eyes and laid her head on Nick's chest. Nick looked down at Sara. From the corner of his eye, he suddenly saw that they were not alone.  
  
Standing close to them, with his arms crossed in front of him, was Warrick. His grin was even wider than the Cheshire cat's.  
  
"Jesus, Warrick, you scared me," Nick said, looking at his friend.  
  
Sara sharply raised her head and saw Warrick. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I work here, remember?" Warrick replied, still grinning. "So -"  
  
"So -" Nick raised an eyebrow.  
  
"So, how long has been this going on?"  
  
"Warrick -" Nick started. When Warrick just stood there, grinning, Nick continued, "Grissom's waiting for you."  
  
"Already reported to him," Warrick said, dismissing Nick's comment. "In fact, he sent me to get you two. He wants us to talk this case over at the break room."  
  
Nick and Sara reluctantly pulled apart. They followed Warrick back in, brushing off his jibes. Grissom, from the breakroom, could hear Warrick's taunts and Nick and Sara's attempts to make him stop the moment the three stepped out of the elevator. He greeted his team with an amused look, and watched them take their usual places around the table.  
  
"Okay, you three seem strangely upbeat," Grissom commented. "But we have to get back to business. Nick, how did the interview go?"  
  
"Meredith Jones did not know that her roommate was dead," Nick began. "Sara and I got to their place a little earlier than she did, and I had to be the one to tell her. Anyway, she was clearly upset, so we had to stop the interview for a while. When she had regained her composure, I asked her the basics, but she couldn't give me any helpful information. According to her, Jodie Fleming had no enemies, no addictions, no medications. She also said that she thinks Jodie was doing well both academically and personally, and that Jodie seemed happy."  
  
"So we still have no suspects," Sara finished for Nick.  
  
Grissom nodded gravely. "Warrick?"  
  
"Jodie Fleming was doing well in school," Warrick confirmed. "She wasn't at the top of her class, but she wasn't flunking any subject. I talked to the dean and to some of her teachers, and they were all quite shock to find out that she's dead. I got her school record, including her current schedule," Warrick reported. "Still no suspects, I'm afraid."  
  
"My turn," Grissom said. "I already showed Nick and Sara what Doc Robbins found in Jodie Fleming's stomach. They're some sort of bead-like material, small and black, embedded on her stomach wall. Greg is analyzing them, along with the herbal supplements that Sara found in Jodie Fleming's desk. We'll just have to wait for the results."  
  
"And I have them right here," a voice from the doorway said. The four CSIs turned and saw Greg at the doorway, waving a sheet of paper.  
  
"Let's hear it then," Grissom said, motioning Greg in. The lab tech handed Grissom the paper, who beckoned the others to look at the results.  
  
"Notice anything?" Greg asked.  
  
"Yeah," Warrick remarked. "This tells us what the capsules contain. What about the material Doc Robbins found in the stomach? Where are the results for it?"  
  
"You are looking at it."  
  
Grissom looked at Greg sharply. "You mean those things and the capsules are the same thing?"  
  
Greg nodded. "One and the same. I've also done a little research, you know, looked it up, in case you guys might ask me how this was possible."  
  
"So how was it possible?" Nick asked.  
  
"The capsules contain the chemicals listed here," Greg began, pointing to the list of chemicals on the paper. "When ingested, the capsule arrives at the stomach whole, but the gastric juice quickly erodes the external covering until the granules are released. The granules then react with the enzyme pepsin, a naturally occurring enzyme in the human stomach. Pepsin causes chemical changes. Glutamate is released, and this could account for the memory enhancing effect of the capsule. However, this reaction also brings about conformational changes, and this involves the crystallization of the granules immediately after the release of glutamate. The crystals then adhere very closely to one another, until a bead-like material is formed. The material is not as smooth as it appears to the naked eye. It has projections that could easily lodge themselves into the goblet cells of the gastric mucosa. This adhesiveness is very strong, and this is why the bead-like things fail to leave the stomach along with the digested food."  
  
"Other than glutamate, is there any other chemical released?" Sara inquired.  
  
"Ah, the poison," Greg said. He pointed to three peaks on the paper. "These chemicals here, when you mix them in an environment with a pH of 4, forms that toxin."  
  
"But the pH in the stomach is lower than that," Grissom said. "It's around 2."  
  
"In most people, yes," Greg said. "But there are always individual differences. My guess is that Jodie Fleming's normal stomach pH is roughly 4." He crossed his arms and grinned smugly. "Am I good or what?"  
  
"Good job, Greggo," Nick admitted. "So now we just have to find out where these capsules came from."  
  
Grissom looked at the clock. "It's nearly 2 a.m.," he said. "But since they are med students, I think Jodie Fleming's roommates are still up. Why don't we give them a call?"  
  
"I'll do that," Sara volunteered. "What's their number?"  
  
Grissom leafed through his organizer until he reached the place where he had written the case data. "Here it is," he said, passing it to Sara. Sara got the number and left the room. She was back in a few minutes.  
  
"Were you able to talk to them?" Warrick asked.  
  
She nodded excitedly. "Yeah, Grissom was right, they were still awake. I talked to Meredith Jones. She said that Jodie got the capsules from their biochemistry teacher, Dr. Daniels. He has a lecture tomorrow at 8."  
  
"I'll ask Brass to bring him here for questioning," Grissom said, standing up. "I can question him later, unless two of you are willing to work overtime."  
  
"I can do it," Sara quickly said. "I know you'd like to visit Lindsey right after our shift. I'm sure one of the guys can stay."  
  
"Rock, paper, scissors," Warrick said, turning to Nick. They always do this whenever Sara volunteers for an overtime and has to have a partner; the winner gets to go home early, and the loser stays and takes on the extra hours. On the contrary, Nick was about to volunteer to stay, not at all bothered to put in several extra hours of work, but since Warrick spoke up, he shrugged and went along with him. Warrick almost always beats him anyway.  
  
True enough, Warrick threw a rock, and Nick scissors. Warrick grinned, "I know you don't mind, man."  
  
Nick just grinned back. Nope, he doesn't mind, not at all. 


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership over any character from the show CSI. No profit is being made from this story.  
  
First Do No Harm  
  
By Moose  
  
Chapter 11  
  
The interrogation went smoothly, despite being delayed. Dr. Daniels had wanted his lawyer to be present during the questioning, so they had to wait for his lawyer to get there. Meredith Jones and Jodie Fleming's parents were also there, listening behind the glass. The doctor did not deny that Jodie Fleming got the capsules from him. He did know the adverse effects of the supplements, and he did not bother to do some tests first before giving the capsules to Jodie. Apparently, the medical representative had promised Dr. Daniels a vacation in Hawaii if the doctor was able to sell a certain number of capsules. At the end of the interrogation, Brass was able to arrest the doctor for malpractice and for the death of Jodie Fleming.  
  
"We finally got our guy," Sara said when she, Nick and Brass joined Meredith and the Flemings outside the interrogation room.  
  
"First do no harm," Meredith said, shaking her head. "That was one of the principal ethic codes we were taught to heed."  
  
"Apparently, Dr. Daniels chose to listen to his medical representative than to his conscience," Nick remarked.  
  
"And because of that, Jodie's gone," Mrs. Fleming said sadly.  
  
"We're very sorry for your loss," Brass said sympathetically. "I know this is a hard time for you, but I'll need you to come with me for a moment."  
  
Mrs. Fleming nodded, and she and her husband followed Brass out of the room.  
  
"I have to now, too," Meredith said. "I have an exam in four hours and I've only taken a nap last night."  
  
"Thanks for your help," Sara said. "And good luck on your exam."  
  
"No trouble," Meredith replied. "It was all for Jodie, anyway." She then bade the two CSIs goodbye and left.  
  
"So -" Nick began.  
  
"So -" Sara repeated.  
  
"How about you and I getting some lunch?"  
  
"Why, Nick Stokes, are you asking me out?" Sara teased.  
  
"I guess I am," Nick replied, smiling. "So, how about it?"  
  
"I thought you'd never ask," Sara grinned back, letting Nick take her hand. Together, they walked out into the Las Vegas sunshine. Life had never looked so beautiful.  
  
Fin  
  
Author's Note: Hope you all liked this! I might revise this later on, but I'm not yet sure. Thanks for all those who have supported me throughout the course of this story, especially those that encouraged me to write on. Please tell me what you think of the whole story, and how I can improve. Thanks! 


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